MEDIA INFORMATION ‘10 OUTLOOK ‘10 COACHES ‘10 PLAYERS
champions, Miami and Toledo, and also knocked off eventual ‘05 league champ Akron. Central Michigan ranked first nationally in fewest turnovers (10) and fewest fumbles lost (four), while the team’s rushing defense ranked 20th and led the MAC at 113.7 yards per game (compared to 245.8 in ’03 -- the year before Kelly arrived). In 2006 Central Michigan rolled up a 7-1 record in conference play to win the MAC West, then dominated Ohio 31-10 in the league championship game. Central Michigan boasted the 19th-most prolific passing attack in the nation, averaging 252.4 yards per game, set a Chippewa season mark with 28 TD passes and led the MAC in total offense (375.3 yards per game) and scoring (29.7 points). MAC Freshman of the Year Dan LeFevour passed for 2,869 yards and 25 TDs to rank 20th nationally in passing efficiency and 14th in total offense.
2010 NOTRE DAME SPRING PROSPECTUS • UND.COM
Kelly had 12 of his players achieve first-team all-conference honors over his three years at Central Michigan (including ’05 MAC Defensive Player of the Year Daniel Bazuin) -- and three advanced to the NFL (including 2005 draftees Eric Ghiacuic and Adam Kieft and free agent Tory Humphrey). Bazuin, who led the nation in ’05 in tackles for losses, also was a ’06 first-team Academic All-American. Kelly arrived at Central Michigan after winning the back-to-back NCAA Division II national titles at Grand Valley State in Allendale, Mich. The all-time winningest program in NCAA Division II history, the Lakers were 41-2 in Kelly’s final three seasons, at one point winning 32 consecutive games. Grand Valley State went 14-0 in 2002 en route to its first national title and was 14-1 in 2003 when it claimed its second crown. Kelly was named the AFCA Division II Coach of the Year after both seasons. Kelly led the Lakers to five conference titles
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‘09 REVIEW
the league’s Special Teams Player of the Year for the second straight season. In three years at the helm of the program, Kelly put together a 34-6 record and led the Bearcats to their first two BIG EAST championships in 2008 and ‘09. Cincinnati achieved a then-school-record 11 victories in 2008, followed that up with a dozen wins in ’09, and had back-to-back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time in school history. Kelly’s Bearcats in ’08 won the school’s first outright conference championship since 1964 and earned the school’s first berth in a BCS game, playing against Virginia Tech in the 75th FedEx Orange Bowl. In ’08 Cincinnati achieved its then-highest ranking to close the regular season – 12th in the AP and USA Today/ESPN polls and the BCS standings entering the Orange Bowl. The Bearcats held down a postseason ranking of 17th in both polls, tying the top postseason ranking in school history. Following the close of the ’08 regular season, Kelly was named the BIG EAST Coach of the Year for the second straight season. He also was named the American Football Monthly Schutt Sports FBS Coach of the Year, earned AFCA Region 1 Coach of the Year honors and was named BIG EAST Coach of the Year by Sporting News. Cincinnati placed 10 players on the 2008 all-BIG EAST teams (including first-team selection Connor Barwin) – with kick returner Gilyard named the BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year and punter Kevin Huber earning the first AFCA All-America nod in program history. Huber became the first two-time AP first-team AllAmerica selection in Bearcat football history. The Bearcats’ 27-24 bowl victory over Western Michigan in 2006 came just 34 days after Kelly was hired. Then, in his first full season at the helm in ‘07, he put Cincinnati on the national radar by jumping out to a 6-0 start and earning the Bearcats their first appearance in the polls in more than 30 years. By winning 10 games for the first time since 1951, Cincinnati earned its 10th bowl appearance in program history and sixth bowl appearance in eight years. The Bearcats finished 17th in the AP poll and 20th in the USA Today/ESPN rankings, earning their first appearances in the final polls. Along the way to the 2007 Papajohns.com Bowl victory, the Bearcats’ third straight bowl win, Kelly earned BIG EAST Coach of the Year honors. Cincinnati listed seven individuals on the all-BIG EAST teams, including BIG EAST Special Teams Player of the Year and consensus All-America punter Huber. The national leader in punting, Huber was one of three Bearcats to be named to an All-America team. Cincinnati ranked second in the BIG EAST and 24th nationally in passing offense (254.1), and was also second in the league and 27th nationally in passing efficiency (139.4). At the same time, the Bearcat defense led the BIG EAST in sacks (2.9) and tackles for a loss (6.5). Kelly’s Bearcats led the FBS in net punting (41.5 yards per punt), and Cincinnati also paced the BIG EAST in kickoff returns (24.2). During his three years at Central Michigan, he transformed a Chippewa program that had won more than three games only once in the past four seasons into a conference champion. Central Michigan posted a 9-4 regular-season record in 2006 en route to winning the MAC title and qualifying for its first bowl game in 12 years. Kelly inherited a program that had produced a mere 12 wins over its previous four seasons when he took the helm at Central Michigan in 2004. He guided the Chippewas to a 4-7 record in 2004 and a 6-5 slate -- the school’s first winning season in seven years -- in 2005. The Chippewas in 2005 defeated both defending MAC divisional